THE WHITE ROOM...part 14
Elizabeth was pacing by the bottom of the steps as she waited for the gate to activate. She glanced at her watch then silently cursed herself when she realized not even a minute had passed since she last checked the time. She needed to calm down. But O'Neill's report had gotten her riled. Then there was the guilt.
More than anything, Elizabeth regretted sending Sheppard away. No matter that it had seemed like the best thing to do at the time, her gut had been telling her that sending Sheppard from Atlantis was a bad thing to do. She wished, with all her heart, that she had listened to her gut and kept him here. But she could kick herself about that later, knowing that she wouldn't be the only one doing so. She knew that Sheppard's team would be feeling the same way, even though none of them were to blame for what had happened. Although a small part of Elizabeth did blame O'Neill for not protecting John better. She had trusted him to keep Sheppard safe and O'Neill had failed. Even though she knew he couldn't have known about Purdie and Kel ahead of time.
"Gate activation, ma'am!" Chuck called out.
"About time," Elizabeth muttered, leaving her position at the stairs to move closer to the gate. She countered down the seconds and suddenly Carson and Rodney were coming through on either side of a gurney. Elizabeth ran to them, her eyes locked on Sheppard's pale face. "How is he?" she asked, Carson.
The Scotsman sighed. "Not good," he replied, sadly. "His vitals are all over the place. I need to get him to the infirmary and monitored. Rodney thinks that Hermiod will be able to help us fix the Colonel."
Elizabeth nodded, she had been in contact with Hermiod herself. "Zelenka will be able to help with that as well," she stated. "I contacted him about your return and he should be on his way to the infirmary as we speak. He and Hermiod have been working closely together to figure out what was done to John."
"Good." Carson looked a bit less worried. "I'll take all the help I can get. Especially after what happened before we left."
"The General told me that Purdie and Kel were experimenting on Colonel Sheppard and shorted out the power," Elizabeth countered. "Is that true?" She couldn't image how it could be.
Rodney answered. "The power did short out but I'm not sure it was anything Purdie and Kel did."
That surprised Elizabeth. "What do you mean?" she prompted.
"When I figure it out you'll be the first to know," Rodney prompted.
"Fair enough," Elizabeth replied. She managed a wobbly smile then turned her full attention to John. He was so still and so pale and it hurt to see him that way. She noticed a small disk in his hand. "What is that?"
Rodney looked anxious. "A part of Atlantis," he replied. "I don't know much more than that right now."
"We need to go," Carson interjected, looking anxious and he took Sheppard's pulse. "Let me get him settled and you can come check on him later."
Stepping away from the gurney, Elizabeth let them pass. She watched them go, then turned to greet Ronon and Teyla. "Do you two feel up to giving me a report?" She needed something to distract her and she could tell they did too. Carson wouldn't be letting any of them around Sheppard for a while, so they might as well occupy themselves thusly.
Teyla looked grim, but she nodded. "We can do that," she allowed.
Ronon looked like he was about to refuse, but he capitulated and followed Elizabeth to the stairs when Teyla tapped him on the arm.
Leading the way into her office, Elizabeth had to force herself not to turn around and follow the path of the gurney. She had to settle for praying that John would be all right.
OoO
Rodney caught sight of Zelenka the moment they entered the infirmary. He let Carson hook up with his med team and whisk Sheppard away. Rodney knew he could be of more help to the Colonel scientifically. "What have you got?" he asked Radek.
Zelenka was typing furiously on his laptop, not looking up to acknowledge Rodney's presence as he replied, "Hermiod may have discovered how the information was downloaded and between us we may be able to figure out a way to help the Colonel deal with the information. But we are not quite ready yet. Once Dr. Beckett has hooked the Colonel up to the monitors and I can get a data feed, then Hermiod and I will proceed from there."
"What can I do?" Rodney inquired, because he hated feeling helpless. He hated the fact that Zelenka knew more about this than he did. He wanted to be the one to help Sheppard, because that's what they did. They saved each other, time and time again, taking turns. He was part of Sheppard's team, not Zelenka. Which Rodney knew was a totally selfish thought, but he couldn't change how he felt.
"There is nothing to do but wait for now," Zelenka replied, sounding regretful.
Rodney moved so he could see the information on the laptop screen. "Catch me up," he ordered, sharply. He saw Zelenka blink at him for a moment, then the Czech nodded and began explaining what he and Hermiod had learned.
For the next hour, Rodney immersed himself in the knowledge, all the while looking for the specific something that would fix Sheppard. Rodney wanted his friend back.
OoO
John was swimming in cold darkness. Cold, so very cold and too dark. The darkness was tight around him, suffocating him. He wanted to scream at it, to fight against it. He wanted to feel warm and to see the light. He wanted to go home. He reached out to Atlantis and he felt incredible joy when she brushed against him, her voice a soft whisper in his head, as she slithered through the darkness to bring him into the light.
OoO
Carson had been watching the monitors. They had been back for three hours and the Colonel hadn't stirred. That worried him. His heart rate was slower than he liked, his BP was too low, his pulse was thready and his condition presented as if he were slipping into shock.
Sheppard was hooked up into a special monitor that Hermiod and Zelenka had rigged up. He wasn't sure what information it was giving off, but Rodney and Zelenka had their heads bent over a series of laptops and were whispering tersely. Carson hoped they were coming up with something. Anything.
Closing his eyes he scrubbed a hand over his face when he heard a loud beep. Frowning, Carson checked the monitors. The heart monitor beeped again. Loudly. Then again.
"What's wrong?" Rodney's face was pale and his eyes were wide as he moved to the other side of Sheppard's bed.
"I'm not sure," Carson replied, checking the other readings.
Zelenka made a squeaking noise, drawing their attention. "Something is happening!" he exclaimed.
Rodney made a beeline for him. "What's happening?" He nearly shouldered Zelenka aside in his haste to check the readings on the laptop for himself. "Something is happening," he breathed.
Carson made a sound of exasperation. "Would one of you please explain to me exactly what is happening so I can tend to my patient?"
The heart monitor made another loud beep beep noise then Sheppard shifted, his head rolling against the pillows.
"Rodney!" Carson was almost shouting as he dove at Sheppard, pressing fingers to the Colonel's pulse as if trusting his own touch over the machines.
Just then the lights in the infirmary flickered and dimmed.
Rodney looked terrified for a moment, then he smiled. "I think...I think it's okay," he said softly. "I think...I think it's Atlantis. I think she's glad we're back."
"I think she is glad Sheppard is back," Zelenka interjected, his eyes still glued to the laptop screen. A second screen displayed the readouts from the medical monitors. Heart rate, BP and pulse rate. "I..I think perhaps Colonel Sheppard is happy to be back as well."
"His readings are going back to normal range," Carson stated, as he studied the machine displays. He studied Sheppard's face. "He looks...peaceful."
Rodney moved to Sheppard's side, studying the Colonel's visage for a long moment. "He does look peaceful. Finally." Relief washed over him in waves. He knew Sheppard wasn't out of the woods, or cured, or anything like that yet, but he was damn sure the Colonel was finally safe. He was also pretty sure Zelenka was right. Atlantis and Sheppard were happy to be back together. Rodney knew that the two were connected, but he was beginning to believe that their bond was far deeper than Sheppard had ever let on. And when he was back to normal, Rodney was going to dog him about it until the Colonel told him everything.
Carson was grinning. "I don't know what just happened and, at the moment, I don't really care. The Colonel is doing better and I think it's time for you to get some sleep, Rodney. You look like hell."
"Why thank you!" Rodney snapped back. "Says the man who looks like death warmed over!"
"I'm going to sack out in my office," Carson stated. "Right after I give Elizabeth an update on the Colonel's condition. Go to bed, Rodney."
But Rodney shook his head. He felt reluctant to leave Sheppard. Bad things happened when he did that. Sure they were back on Atlantis, but Sheppard wasn't' fixed yet. Rodney didn't want to leave him. Besides which, if he woke up he would need to see a familiar face. His Azur. "I'm staying," he declared firmly.
Carson looked like he was going to argue, but then he simply sighed and pointed to the empty bed next to Sheppard's. "Then stretch out there and rest. If you're not asleep when I get back from seeing Elizabeth, then I'm going to sedate you. Using a very big needle."
"Fine." Rodney hid a gulp and climbed up on the other bed. He knew Carson wasn't kidding about sedating him, or the big needle. He curled up on his side, facing Sheppard, and let his eyes drift closed. They were home, Sheppard was doing a bit better, and come morning they would figure out how to make him well again.
With hope flickering like a flame inside him, Rodney drifted off to sleep.
OoO
Atlantis was singing to him and John was content. He knew he was back home and for now he let her voice wash over him, soothing him. He could feel how happy she was to have him back and he tried to convey to her that he felt the same way. The warmth of her happiness wrapped around him and he wanted to bury himself in it, knowing he would be safe there. But after a time he felt an ache deep inside him. Reaching out to her, he realized what the ache was. Atlantis was in pain.
He needed to go to her, but he was scared. Until Atlantis reminded him that he was home. So he opened his eyes, blinking hard and seeing a place that looked familiar and felt familiar, but he wasn't sure if he really remembered it or not. But he did remember where to go to find the heart of Atlantis.
Sliding out of bed, he tugged and pulled at all the things attached to him until they were gone and then he slipped out the door, as silent as the shadows that surrounded him.
He moved slowly but with certainty, ducking into dark spaces when anyone came close. He kept one hand pressed against the wall, the disk in the other, as he glided through the corridors. Atlantis led him to her.
He entered the room and the lights glowed for him. He moved to the chair and had just settled into it when alarms went off, loud and raucous and he moaned and covered his ears. Atlantis shuddered and John knew something bad was happening. Something was causing her pain. A different pain. He leaned back into her and closed his eyes.
THE END...of part 14